Two years after its theatrical debut, Czech historical drama Waves (Vlny) has crossed a major box-office milestone. The film, directed and written by Jiří Mádl, has now been seen by more than one million people in Czech cinemas, with total domestic gross reaching CZK 159 million.
The milestone comes on Aug. 21, the anniversary of the 1968 invasion of Czechoslovakia by Warsaw Pact forces, the historical event at the center of Mádl’s film. Waves, which opened in Czech cinemas on Aug. 15, 2024, remains in theatrical circulation two years after its release, with special screenings of the film across the country marking this year’s anniversary.
The latest figures make Waves the second-highest-grossing Czech film released since 1989, behind Martin Horský’s comedy Women on the Run (Ženy v běhu), which earned nearly CZK 212 million during its theatrical run.
A long-running theatrical success
The latest milestone places Waves among the most commercially successful Czech films of the post-1989 era. Its performance is particularly notable given that the film is a period drama centered on the politically charged events of 1968 rather than a contemporary comedy, the genre that has frequently dominated the Czech domestic box office.
The film follows journalists and radio employees working at Czechoslovak Radio during the months leading up to and following the Aug. 21 invasion. Its story combines the political upheaval of the period with a family drama, focusing in part on the importance of a radio recording that could influence the course of events.
The principal cast includes Vojtěch Vodochodský, Táňa Pauhofová, Stanislav Majer, Vojtěch Kotek and Marika Šoposká. Pauhofová plays journalist Věra Šťovíčková, one of the real-life figures represented in the film.
According to distributor Bontonfilm, Waves has not yet reached the end of its theatrical run. A total of 15 screenings are scheduled around the Czech Republic in connection with the Aug. 21 anniversary this year, giving the film an unusually long presence in cinemas for a Czech production that premiered two years ago.
The film’s continued theatrical life also underscores the role that anniversary screenings can play in extending the box-office run of historical films. In the case of Waves, its subject matter gives Aug. 21 particular significance, with the film returning to cinemas each year around the anniversary of the invasion.
From Karlovy Vary premiere to Czech Lion winner
Waves had its world premiere at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival in 2024, where Mádl received the festival’s Blue Cube Award for an outstanding artistic contribution. The film subsequently became one of the most prominent Czech domestic releases of that year.
Its critical reception was reinforced at the Czech Lion Awards, where Waves won six prizes from 14 nominations, including Best Feature Film. Mádl received awards for both directing and screenplay, while Pauhofová and Majer won for their supporting performances. Viktor Ekrt received the award for sound.
The film has also maintained a strong audience rating on Czech-Slovak film database ČSFD, where it currently holds an 88 percent rating. That places it alongside The Elementary School (Obecná škola) among the highest-rated Czech films released since 1989, just behind Jan Hřebejk’s Cosy Dens (Pelíšky), which has a 91 percent rating.
The commercial milestone arrives as the Czech Republic again marks the anniversary of the invasion that began on Aug. 21, 1968. Soviet-led Warsaw Pact forces entered Czechoslovakia that morning to suppress the Prague Spring reform movement, bringing an end to the country’s attempt under Communist leader Alexander Dubček to pursue a more liberal form of socialism.
For Waves, the anniversary provides a direct connection between its historical subject and its present-day theatrical life. With more than 1 million admissions and CZK 159 million in domestic gross, the film has now established itself as the second-biggest Czech box-office success of the post-1989 era, while continuing to draw audiences at the cinema two years after its original release.
